Monday, March 30, 2009

Parenting By Nature Giveaway

Nobody would ever mistake me for a nature girl. I've never been camping, I'm addicted to air conditioning, and I freak out if I can't wash my hair at least every other day. That being said, I see the value in a crunchy, green lifestyle and try to be more responsible in our lifestyle, especially now that we have kids. I wish I had known more about natural baby care when I was first pregnant with Roo. I assumed cloth diapers were a bulky mess and hard to deal with but now I know there are plenty of cute and easy to use options available.

Parenting By Nature is a great online resource. They have been selling cloth diapers, baby slings and baby products since 2004, which coincidentally is when Roo was born. They offer a wide variety of eco-friendly gear for babies and nursing mothers, as well as tutorials and information to help parents make the right choices for their families, ensuring their continued health and well-being as well as that of the world around them.

Parenting By Nature founder Tamara Champion has two young daughters and is a big proponent of babywearing so the site features not only a wide selection of baby carriers, but also detailed product reviews personally written by staff members, to help parents find the carrier that’s a perfect fit for them. Customer reviews are also a big part of Parenting By Nature and they help make the website feel more like a community market than a traditional store.

I briefly considered cloth diapering with Jasper but I must admit that his stay in the NICU made it pretty easy for me to just go ahead and keep using the disposables. Now that he's nearing potty training, I am contemplating using cloth trainers. Parenting By Nature has several brands available but I chose the Imse Vimse Organic Cloth Training Pants because they look the most like underpants. I love the cute prints and the fact that they are vinyl and PVC-free. They consist of a comfortable layer of cotton on the outside, soft elastic at the waist, three layers of absorbent terry cloth on the inside and a layer of polyurethane-laminated polyester keep clothes dry. We haven't tried them out in earnest yet but they look adorable on him and I have high hopes of ditching pull-up training diapers for these in the near future.

I've also been curious recently about natural menstrual care. Since we're trying to eliminate potential toxins from our cleaning products, paper goods, diapers, etc. it has struck me as rather hypocritical that I've been using tampons for over 20 years now. Two decades of sticking bleached cotton in my nethers. Ick! Parenting By Nature offers Mama Cloth reusable pads and the Diva Cup, a silicon menstrual cup. Parenting By Nature sent me a Diva Cup to try and I must admit that it is a totally brilliant device.

Once you get used to inserting it and removing it (the cup is VERY flexible and foldable!), the Diva Cup is a total no-brainer. Actually, I think it is really impressive to see how little you're bleeding when you feel like you're flowing like an unstoppable river… the Diva Cup has a one ounce capacity but it is rarely even close to full and you only have to empty it 2-3 times daily. You can't feel it once it's in place and I even felt like my cramps were less severe! There is no leakage and I was surprised at how little mess there is involved. True, there is a bit of a learning curve to getting it inserted properly and if you bristle at tampons without applicators, it is probably not for you. (I was one of you but post baby #2, I'll give anything a go. No modesty anymore, woo-hoo!) But if you'd rather avoid the chemicals and environmental waste associated with tampons and pads, I would definitely recommend you give the Diva Cup a try!

Parenting By Nature offers plenty of other things for your family, too, including safe feeding and bathing gear, toys and gifts, and household sundries. Check out their selection and feel free to email them with any questions you might have.

To enter and win a $50 gift certificate to Parenting By Nature, please comment on this post with your favorite item from their site.

Entries will be accepted through April 15th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US/Canada readers are eligible. Only one entry/comment per person, please.

Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win! Or, you may choose to check for your nickname at Prizey.Fetch, a site that compiles winners in one convenient place:

I love the EllaRoo Baby Wrap! They are obtained through fair trade in Guatemala, where my husband is from! I'd love to sport one of those Guatemalan wraps with our little girl in tow!Melaniepipinoy2000@yahoo.com

I was wondering about the Diva cup, as I've seen it on another site. And I'm going to buy some of those training pants when the time comes, or else just stick with the cloth diapers (haven't researched this much yet).

My favorite things are the Baby Hawk Mei Tais, which I've been coveting for a while now. Maybe a $50 gc would encourage me to splurge.

I honestly love everything from parenting by nature, esp the baby carriers (but my husband will flip if i buy yet another carrier). I really want to try the Diva cup, so if i win...this is what i will spend my money on. I've heard so many great things about the cup and like you i'm starting to feel icked out by the thought of toxic tampons.Thanksveggiemcveggie[at]gmail[dot]com

The Windsor/Black Kozy Mei Tai would be such a pleasure to get. I have a Kozy and I love it! I could use another one so I can actually wash this one, as it gets plenty of use when I'm doing laundry ;)But I think I would spend the gift certificate if I won on cloth trainers....my oldest is toilet trained, but not at night....and I don't think the 'sposies he's in help matters! The CD we have are too small for him :(

I like the Natural Wooden Baby Rattle; a gift for a new mama. What a nice site; reasonable prices, unique items and it's one stop shopping for mom AND baby!Love it; thanks for the review:)I'm always looking for new sites like this.

I would love to get some of the Bummis Training Pants or the Happy Heiny's Cloth Training Pants for my youngest granddaughter. She is ready but yet hesitant about potty training and I think these would help a great deal.

I was just looking at cloth diapers the other day cause we're starting potty training too! That website has awesome stuff but based on what I'd like this very minute, I picked the Stainless Steel Baby Dish Set, Froggy.

I think the BabyLegs are a lot of fun and would be great for my girls so that they could have a little extra warmth in the morning but then pull them off as it gets hot in the afternoon. My favorite is the preppy Wellesly pattern.

The Druide Baby Care line has been designed to soothe even the most sensitive skin. 100% Natural, these soaps are so wonderful, you will want enough for the whole family! Each soap bar is 100g. Made in Canada. I LOVE SOAP & THEY HAVE 3 DIFFERENT KINDS ~SO I WOULD GET AT LEAST 2 OF EACH! I WOULD SPEND THE REST ON OUR BATH & BODY PRODUCTS LIKE THEIR BABY SHAMPOO.